100
Why might movement variability be beneficial for skill acquisition and execution? What distinguishes “good” from “bad” variability in movement? How do different coaching/instructional methods (e.g. ordering practice conditions, cueing, differential learning, and manipulating constraints) compare in terms of their ability to encourage functional variability? When should we be trying to maximize variability?Download link

98
A discussion with Ed Coughlan, Phil Kearny and Olly Logan, founders of Movement & Skill Acquisition Ireland. In the interview we discuss the goals of the organization and their upcoming conference: Constraints based coaching and ecological dynamics to enhance sports performance.Download link

97
A discussion with Mark O’Sullivan, Coach with AIK Football in Stockholm. We discuss Mark’s concept of football interactions and how it relates to practice design and affordances, and the “race to the bottom” in talent identification.Download link

96
A look at research investigating the effects of assisted/guided movement on skill acquisition. Can experiencing the movement pattern of an elite athlete facilitate motor learning in a novice? Is it better to use assistance to reduce or augment errors?Download link

95
A look at how Bernstein’s famous phrase “repetition without repetition” revolutionized how we think about motor learning. And an introduction to a few extensions of Bernstein’s ideas including coordinative structures and the uncontrolled manifold hypothesis.Download link

93
The first episode in a series looking at the contributions of Nikolai Bernstein to our understanding of motor control and motor learning. What were Bernstein’s “problems? Is finding solutions to these problems really what effective coaching is all about?Download link

92
A look at the Differential Learning approach to skill acquisition. Is maximizing movement variability by preventing repetition and correction the optimal way to design practice? How does this differ from the Constraints-Led Approach?Download link